10Passions!
by Spirit Evolution
Summary: 10Passions taken from the LJCommunity. [‘Old women aren’t his thing? Oh, I’ll show that puffed up peacock a thing or two!’][Mostly KenshinxKaoru][Chapter three up! SanosukexMegumi!]
1. Calloused

**Title: **Calloused  
**Theme:** #11- Rough Hands  
**Pairing:** KenshinxKaoru  
**Rating:** T (Because when the rating goes up a notch in other chapters, I'll be too lazy to change it. Best to be safe, than to be sorry.)

**Warnings: **Slight sexual references.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, that I do not.

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I'd always marvelled at the strength he possessed- Quiet, subtle…Deadly when he was in one of his darker moods. His entire body pulsed with barely concealed power, lithe muscles rippling beneath skin as smooth as my own and posture, though seemingly humbled, leant towards the kind that often reminded me of a jungle cat. Majestic, proud- each movement calculated to a degree.

But what I admired most, was the strength of his hands; dry, rough and capable of many feats, from protecting a loved one and quieting the cries of a frightened child to mending a broken fence and washing stubborn stains out of the most delicate of cloths.

"Mm…Ken-…_shin_…"

Those hazy thoughts floated through my lust riddled mind as I arched upwards into those knowing caresses- And when that abrasive warmth cupped my bare breast, I couldn't help but thank Kami-sama for thrusting him into a world that dictated that he learnt to use a sword.

His body covered my own stilling my writhing movements with his delicious weight, one hand pinned my wrists above my head whilst its twin gripped my hip with possessive force. Passion lidded his eyes, violet turned golden with desire; lips parting to whisper my name…And with a measured thrust of his hips, my thoughts lost all coherency.

A little while later, basking in the afterglow of our 'little practice' as he liked to name it when in polite company, I thread my smaller fingers with his own, delighting in the differences of texture between his palm and mine- Where I was smooth, he was coarse; where I was small, he was large.

I frowned.

Alright, only _slightly_ larger, for didn't his gi and hakama fit me rather well?

I shift into a more comfortable position, disturbing his light doze, and he turns to look at me with a lazy smile.

"Sessha would like to know what Kaoru-dono is thinking, that he does."

I return the smile with a goofy grin, and snuggle into his lean shoulder.

"I'm just thinking about how much I _love_ your hands."

He blinks with mild surprise, followed by his trademark "Oro?" and I laugh gently, flicking his nose with a dismissive shake of my head.

He settles back with a soft yawn, drawing me closer for mutual warmth and emotional reassurance and I curl up against him with a contented sigh; my eyes closing eventually from exhaustion.

Some woman prefer the eyes, other's say the face in its entireity. But I will always stick adamantly to _my_ decision- Kenshin's hands will _always_ be my favourite part of his body.

_**Owari

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Spirit: Yo! My first Kenshin one-shot thingy (One of many!) I stole the idea from 10Passions on LJ (Can't remember who created it cough) So yeah...I'm not sure which theme will be next, but I think all of these will be KenshinxKaoru. There may be a MegumixSanouske...Maybe. 3 Read and review my loyal readers!**_


	2. O Kaeri Nasai

**Title: **O-Kaeri Nasai  
**Theme:** #10- The Road Back To You  
**Pairing:** KenshinxKaoru  
**Rating:** T (Because when the rating goes up a notch in other chapters, I'll be too lazy to change it. Best to be safe, than to be sorry.)

* * *

I might have won the battle- But I have yet to win the war against infection. I doubt I ever will, from the way my body aches; my left arm seizing up at any given opportunity, even in the midst of a gruelling fight against what I had been told was the enemy causing my grip to falter on the sakabatou. 

I find myself sapped of all strength, my body rotting from the inside out from a disease that this day and age has no cure for. And what is infinitely worse, is that I know full well that Kaoru-dono is suffering from the same effects miles away. The thought causes the breath to catch painfully in my throat, and an unrelenting constriction in my chest.

Truly, the agony of regret is not something I'd wish on even my worst enemy.

I sit there with my back against the railings, the spray from the sea dousing my in bitter liquid that dries out the ends of my hair and causes my skin to prickle at the discomfort. The ship bounces unsteadily across the rolling waves, my stomach sinking with the excitement that my face barely conceals.

'_Soon, we will be reunited Kaoru-dono.'_

"Land! Captain, land ahoy!"

My eyes open, and I shift my weary body to glance over my shoulder at the rapidly approaching shoreline, a smile of relief curling my mouth.

Another sharp pain wrenches a gasp from my lips, and I'm almost bent double from the white-hot twinge that shoots up my left arm and across the entirety of my chest and throat- The garish purplish marks disgusting beneath the paleness of the bandages I'd applied a few hours earlier.

I clutch at the front of my gi, trying in vain to regain the breath that I'd lost; my features contorted, leaving my face to look more gaunt than usual.

"Himura-san? Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Aa, daijoubu de gozaru."

He nods, still looking frightfully concerned, even though I've managed to produce some semblance of a smile. After a few more hasty reassurances on my part, he departs, leaving me to my thoughts.

'_I will not last much longer, that I won't.'

* * *

_

The road is long, and I feel the dirt and salt that covers me from head to toe keenly and my nose wrinkles at the unwashed stench that wafts around me.

'_Kaoru-dono will be sure to scold me, that she will.'_

And as if she'd just stepped out of my frazzled imagination, there she was- Crouching by the wall, trying to steady herself with a hand clasping the front of one of her more decent kimonos. My eyes widen, and I whisper her name.

"Kaoru-dono…"

She looks up, face pale and slicked with sweat, and though she looks just as ragged as I felt, a beatific smile lights up her entire countenance; love shining in those blue eyes I'd come to admire over the infrequent stop-overs during our rocky marriage.

"Ken-…shin…" she gasps out, tears collecting at the corner of her eyes.

And then, as if I'd sprinted over under my own steam, we were in each other's arms. Well, I had collapsed on top of her, and she was trying, without much success, to stay upright.

We stay like that for a moment in silence, her body shivering with the strength of her sobs, whilst mine is wracked with harsh worn out breaths of pain. I knew I hadn't much longer…

"O-kaeri nasai…Shinta."

My head shoots up, and I stare at her in surprise. She returns it with a giggle, ruffling my tangled hair.

"I made a promise with you last time, didn't I?"

Ah yes. In one of my frailer moments, when I wasn't sure how much I had left…I'd made her promise to call me by my _true_ name the next time we met. My gaze softens. This woman had poured everything she had into me; her love, her time and energy…She'd even given me the best years of her life and I'd never given anything to her in return except pain and sorrow.

And my disease.

She senses my unease, and she holds me tight to her bosom.

"Ne, Kenshin. You've given me _everything_ I ever asked for. You gave me Kenji, didn't you? I have never regretted one moment being with you."

I feel the sting of tears, and I hold her as tight as the pain would allow.

A little while later, the exhaustion begins to drag at my limbs, and I end up almost completely horizontal with my head resting in Kaoru's lap. Ever the insightful one, she keeps her peace and continues to stroke my hair, content in the knowledge that I was indeed home and that I wasn't going anywhere. I suppose she thought I was just tired.

I snag her hand, and give it a gentle squeeze, and she looks down at me.

"Tadaima…Kaoru-…dono…"

Even after I'd taken my last breath, I could feel the trickle of warmth over my cheeks, and could hear her last words to me.

"O-kaeri nasai Shinta. Aishiteru…Itsumo."

'_Aa; aishiteru, Kaoru-dono. We will meet again soon, that we will.'_

_**Owari**_

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_**Spirit: Eh...That was a tad on the sad side, wasn't it? -cries- I sniffled when I wrote this, as I remembered the episode where that actually happened. ;; Anyway, thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter. It was far more than I had actually expected . ; Far more popular than my other, longer oneshots. Read and review!**_

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_Glossary**

Sakabatou- Reverse blade sword that Kenshin wields.  
**"Daijoubu desu ka?"-** "Are you alright?"  
**"Aa, daijoubu de gozaru."-** "Yes, I'm fine that I am."  
**O-kaeri nasai-** Welcome home.  
**Tadaima-** I'm home.  
**Aishiteru-** I love you.  
**Itsumo-** Always.


	3. In Her Prime

**Title: **In Her Prime  
**Theme:** #3 Sarcasm  
**Pairing:** SanosukexMegumi  
**Rating:** T (Because when the rating goes up a notch in other chapters, I'll be too lazy to change it. Best to be safe, than to be sorry.)

**Warnings: **Just Megumi being her usual foxy self. Tehe…  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, that I do not.

* * *

Sagara Sanosuke; prime fighter, hot-blooded, loyal to a fault- One might go so far as to say he'd matured over the years… 

"What's up with all that make-up, kitsune-onna? Has Old Man Time _finally_ caught up?"

…Unfortunately, he _still_ wasn't the brightest crayon in the box.

The room fell deathly silent- Kenshin wisely shimmied out of range from flying projectiles, flattening himself against the dojo's walls; Yahiko followed suit, practically flinging himself into the miniscule space behind the tender hearted rurouni and the splintering wood.

Kaoru loosed a weary sigh, and raised her cup to her lips, blowing gently on the steaming brew before taking a lengthy sip. Kenshin envied her calm composure- He was the legendary Battousai…Slayer of many, feared by all…Yet there he was, _cowering _at the slightest whiff of discontent from the female doctor.

"Excuse me?"

'_Here we go again…'_ Kenshin mourned, feeling the urge to placate the bristling ex-dealer; though that quickly died when he caught the look in her eye. _'I think I'll stay quiet, that I will.'_

Oblivious, (or seemingly so), Sanosuke cracked a smile and slipped his hands comfortably into his trouser pockets, leaning nonchalantly against the door jamb.

"What? Don't tell me your hearin's goin' too, sweetheart."

Here, even _Kaoru_ was hard pressed to _not_ wince at the additional slur on the elder woman's age- Yahiko blanched and Kenshin was busy waving his hands frantically in his younger friend's direction.

Megumi's fingers tightened a fraction around the delicately carved porcelain, and her eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

The silence stretched for a beat, and just as soon as it had appeared- The tension dissipated when Megumi smiled…A tad _too_ brightly in the ex-assassin's opinion.

"O-ho-ho-ho!" she crowed, tossing that ebon mane of hers over her shoulder, sinfully red lips curved into a grin that was leaning toward the sadistic end of the spectrum. "It seems rooster-head doesn't know how to appreciate the finer aspects of the more mature woman. _Ne_, Ken-san?"

She shot a wicked look over her shoulder at the quivering rurouni, ignoring the icy glare that Kaoru aimed in her direction, arm raised and ready to pitch that fine china at the woman's head.

Caught between the various looks that promised violent wrath should he oppose one or the other, Kenshin, upon deciding that Megumi's retribution would be by _far_ the most humiliating and/or painful…Answered her whilst inwardly praying that Kaoru's aim would be off today.

"H-hai! Megumi-dono is right, that she is! Sano, you must never underestimate the power of a mature woman, that you should not!"

Appeased, Megumi chortled becomingly, and turned to smirk triumphantly at Sanosuke, leaving Kaoru to throttle the visibly sweating redhead.

Instead of receiving an apology from the gangly youth as she'd expected, she was given a rather sharp set-down.

"Wari na kitsune-onna…Old women just ain't my thing."

And with a wink, he left the room with a spring in his step.

Pride dented, and tears of fury springing to her eyes, Megumi rose to her feet and quietly left the room.

'_Old women aren't his thing? Oh, I'll show that puffed up peacock a thing or two!'

* * *

_

Takani Megumi; sly, cunning, mischievous- One could even go so far as to say she had such a sense of pride, that it couldn't be deflated...

"Old woman?! _Old_ woman?! What part of me is old?!"

…But it seems there's one person who could puncture it without much trouble.

Scowling darkly at her reflection, Megumi poked and prodded at her face, eyeing her countenance with harsh criticism.

Alright…So the crows feet at the corner of her eyes _were_ deeper than usual. And _yes_, the worry lines that seemed to permanently crease her forehead weren't as temporary as she'd dismissed them earlier as.

But she was still beautiful! She was only _thirty_ for Kami-sama's sake! Megumi was at her prime, in her element!

Wasn't she?

Releasing a pent-up sigh, she rubbed her temples wearily, ignoring the shrill laughter coming from Suzume and Ayame playing out in the yard behind her room. She couldn't even rally enough pluck to scold the two for acting so childish, for weren't they in their teens now?

Taking a deep breath, Megumi fiddled with her hair a moment and gazed back at her reflection defiantly.

"I am _far_ from old!" she asserted proudly. "And I'm going to give that damn pea-fowl a lesson!"

Confidence bolstered, she straightened her haori, and stomped out (as gracefully as possible) of her room and down the hall.

* * *

_'Damn woman…Makin' me wait out in the cold…Strollin' on over like she's got all the time in the world…'_

Sanosuke watched her approach through the darkness with barely concealed annoyance, his bandaged hands chaffing the sides of his arms as a bitter chill set of a ragged shiver throughout his entire frame, causing his skin to pucker and the hairs on the back of his forearms to rise.

The brunette opened his mouth to snarl something at her, only to snap shut when one of her longer strides brought her into the eerie glow of the newly lit street-lamp. His eyes widened fractionally in astonishment, and he had to fight down the lump that had risen in his throat.

There, dressed in naught but a kimono of the deepest crimson, _without_ her usual haori, was Megumi; dark hair drawn up into an elaborate design laced with some sort of vine-like flowers (he wasn't up to scratch in women's fashion, so he couldn't exactly put a name to it), and her face, for once, was utterly nude. No lipstick…No blusher…Nothing.

In short, she was breathtaking.

Megumi smirked inwardly yet didn't pause, continuing her leisurely walk; each step calculated, the slight sway of her hips timed perfectly with the slight acceleration in the taller boy's heart rate. Oh yes, she could hear it from where she stood, once she'd stopped a few feet away from him; that steady **tha-thump! **

'_Yes, keep staring little boy. I'll show you how searing the wrath of a scorned woman can be!'_

Sanosuke shook himself out of his reverie, and adopted a look of irritation mixed with his usual brash humour and folded his arms across his broad chest.

"So, what didja want…Obaasan?"

Megumi's eye twitched minutely, and her slim hand clenched into a fist within the folds of her kimono sleeve. Thankfully it was long enough to conceal it.

He was baiting her, she realised and forced her posture to remain relaxed; which was a feat in itself. Kami-sama, did he infuriate her!

Rallying up a smile that was sure to set his pulse tempo soaring, she bridged the gap between them and raised a hand; fingering the edges of his white jacket.

"Mou…" she murmured, glancing up at him from beneath sooty lashes; "Does a woman _need_ a reason to want to see a man?"

Sanosuke flushed slightly, trying to ignore the delightful tingling that originated from the areas where her sharp nails subtly brushed. He cleared his throat, and shifted uneasily- Finding all too soon, that there wasn't much room for manoeuvring as he'd unintentionally backed himself into a tree.

"I-Iie…I s'pose not." He replied gruffly, wincing at the slight catch in his voice. Damnit all to hell!

The fact that she'd cornered him hadn't gone unnoticed, and Megumi made it a point to press her body up against his- Chest to chest, thigh to thigh as she stood up as far on tiptoe that her zori would allow.

Sanosuke jumped at the extra contact, and almost brained himself on the tree behind him.

"Sou ka…?" she breathed, winding her arms around his neck. Eyeing him in a predatory manner, she added in a husky undertone loaded with faux concern. "Daijoubu, _San-os-uke_? You look flushed. Are you sick?"

"D-daijoubu!"

Megumi's expression darkened a notch, and with the aid of her arms, she hoisted herself off of her feet until she was eye-level with him- Her tongue darting out to moisten her slightly dry lips, feeling immense satisfaction as Sanosuke's eyes followed the slow movement.

Deciding that this was the time to finish up, as the cold was doing a wonderful job in speeding up the process of frostbite; she allowed her eyes to fall lazily to half-mast, her head tilting slowly to the side as if she were inviting him in for a kiss.

And take the invitation he did!

Sanosuke's eyes widened a tad, then narrowed and closed with a flash of fire as his head descended; lips parted in preparation for a kiss he guaranteed would be a total toe-curler…

…Only to meet thin air, and a calloused finger.

His eyes shot open again when the soft laughter reached his ears, and he reared back with a squawk of indignation.

"O-ho-ho-ho-ho!" she gasped, an infuriating smirk curving those tempting lips of hers. "Who's an old woman _now ,_eh, you overgrown muscle-head?!"

Sanosuke stared blankly at her, his hormones raging and almost out of control.

"Y'mean ta tell me…" he began in confusion.

"…That I was merely proving a point to assuage my smarting ego?" she finished sweetly. "Yes, my dear rooster-head."

"…So you weren't serious when…?" he continued after a beat.

"…I was about to kiss you? Of course not! O-ho-ho-ho-ho!"

At that point, due to the stress of holding himself back from throttling her _and_ the liquid fire that still licked away at his insides, Sagara Sanosuke…Fighter for hire, and all around freeloader…Keeled over from the shock of it all.

"…Ha! I've _still_ got it!" she crowed, and snorting her amusement, Megumi bent down and checked the boy's pulse with a practiced hand.

"Baka…" she murmured fondly as she rose to her feet once again.

Taking one last look at the prone Sanosuke, she spun on her heel and strode off towards the doctor's surgery with her eyes closed and those little fox ears sprouting from the sides of her head.

"Ne, Ken-san?" she called out after clearing the first street-lamp.

"H-hai?!" The rurouni gasped, almost falling from his perch atop a spindly looking branch in one of the various trees littering the clearing.

"Be a dear and make sure he gets home safe, would you?"

"Wakarimasu, Megumi-dono!"

The ebon haired woman nodded once to herself, and continued off, one last thought causing a blush to take up residence in her cheeks.

'_Mmn…But that was a bit of a close call. I almost let him kiss me…Maybe next time.'_

**_Owari_**_

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**Spirit: Woo! Another chapter down! Now, just to let y'all know for future reference, and to prevent 'disappointment'...Some of my oneshots may be based off of episodes or off of the OVAs...So if it's not exactly following the storyline, or I've inserted some extra stuff...Please do not get ratty at me. It's my creative license to change and add things so that it doesn't sound terribly old and rehashed. So, thank you for reading, and I hope you review! (LURKERS! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!)**


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